"I'm pleased to welcome Heather into this exceptional group of professional women," said NAPW President Star Jones. "Her work is insipring and invaluable."

As a young girl, Dr. Stanley-Christian wavered between becoming a neurosurgeon and teacher. “I was told by Mom that I was able to read by the age of three, and one of my favorite books was a medical book my father inherited from his mother,” she said. “That, perhaps, was my early inspiration.”

Dr. Stanley-Christian eventually decided to follow her dream to become a doctor, but rather than neurosurgery, she became interested in another field. Since 2014, she has been part of the team of highly skilled physicians within the Cook County Health and Hospital Systems at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital. “When I became pregnant, along with the birth of my child was the genesis of my calling into Maternal Fetal Medicine. Becoming a mother is a memorable event. To effect best quality care and experience is my wish for patients,” she said. As Systems Chair, Maternal Fetal Medicine, her key responsibility is to “ensure that our providers deliver a level of service that is of the highest quality and comparable to local and national standards.”

Along with the rewards of her profession, such as the sense of trust and satisfaction so often conveyed by patients and their families, Dr. Stanley-Christian, a dedicated and caring healthcare professional, has the very difficult task of delivering bad news. “There is never an easy way,” she said. “It is often hard to hear and harder to deliver, when the message is coming from a place of authenticity, it is usually appreciated.”